Landing in Lviv was like landing in a third-world airport. It was very hot that August day in 2001, the wait to go through customs was several hours and of course there was no air conditioning. Once we finally got through to the other side of the wall we no longer felt like we were going to the Ukraine by ourselves. 12 beautiful Yurkowsky relatives with bouquets of flowers met us. No introductions were needed; we knew each other just by looking at our faces. One relative spoke some English, but Baba didn't need a translator, she was able to communicate with them perfectly in whatever language it was that her father came to America with. What a heartwarming experience. I felt like we were in a movie.

After taking some pictures with the family they loaded up our luggage in the three cars that they came in and we were all off to Ivano Frankovsk for the first of many family dinners to come. This one was in the apartment of my second cousin and his family. The table was full of beautifully presented food, vodka, wine, and the faces of curious family members who just couldn't wait to get acquainted. The enormity of the gathering was really overwhelming. This Yurkowsky family was severed in 1907 when my grandfather left Pielgrzymka to come to America. 94 years later this family was rejoined and broke bread together. Baba met five first cousins on this trip. Two of her cousins and their grandchildren came on a 24-hour train ride from Donetsk, near Kiev, to meet us. Her cousins all stuck by her side like glue. They spoke to each other and sang songs as if they grew up together.